US11825567B2ActiveUtilityA1

Electronic smoking article comprising one or more microheaters

76
Assignee: RAI STRATEGIC HOLDINGS INCPriority: Sep 4, 2012Filed: May 21, 2021Granted: Nov 21, 2023
Est. expirySep 4, 2032(~6.2 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:William Robert CollettStephen Benson SearsDennis Lee PotterSteven Lee AldermanMo Kebaili
A61M 15/06H05B 3/265A24F 40/30A24F 40/42A24F 40/46A24F 40/51A24F 40/10A24F 40/20H05B 2203/003A24F 47/00A24F 40/485A24F 40/44A24F 40/50H05B 3/34H05B 3/12H05B 3/141H05B 3/145H05B 3/148
76
PatentIndex Score
0
Cited by
406
References
34
Claims

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an electronic smoking article that provides for improved aerosol delivery. Particularly, the article comprises one or more microheaters. In various embodiments, the microheaters provide for improved control of vaporization of an aerosol precursor composition and provide for reduced power requirements to achieve consistent aerosolization. The present disclosure further relates to methods of forming an aerosol in a smoking article.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A cartridge for use with a smoking article, the cartridge comprising:
 a substrate; 
 a plurality of heaters positioned in or on the substrate; 
 one or more aerosol precursor compositions that independently can comprise one or more components; 
 wherein the cartridge is configured for insertion into a smoking article so that the one or more aerosol precursor compositions, or the one or more components thereof, are arranged for heating by one or more of the plurality of heaters upon activation thereof, wherein the substrate comprises two layers and the plurality of heaters is positioned between the two layers. 
 
     
     
       2. The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of heaters is attached to a surface of the substrate. 
     
     
       3. The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of heaters is recessed within the substrate. 
     
     
       4. The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the substrate is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a polymeric material, paper, cardboard, ceramic, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       5. The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more aerosol precursor compositions, or the one or more components thereof, are present as a solid material. 
     
     
       6. The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more aerosol precursor compositions, or the one or more components thereof, are present as a semi-solid material. 
     
     
       7. The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more aerosol precursor compositions, or the one or more components thereof, are present as a gel. 
     
     
       8. The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more aerosol precursor compositions, or the one or more components thereof, are present as a foam. 
     
     
       9. The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more aerosol precursor compositions, or the one or more components thereof, are coated on the plurality of heaters. 
     
     
       10. The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein individual volumes of the one or more aerosol precursor compositions, or the one or more components thereof, are individually present in one or more specific areas of the substrate corresponding to one or more of the plurality of heaters. 
     
     
       11. The cartridge of  claim 10 , wherein the individual volumes comprise two or more different aerosol precursor compositions or two or more different components thereof that are independently present in different areas of the substrate corresponding to two or more of the plurality of heaters. 
     
     
       12. The cartridge of  claim 11 , wherein the two or more of the plurality of heaters are configured for individual activation. 
     
     
       13. The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more components of the one or more aerosol precursor compositions include one or more of a flavor, a medicament, and nicotine. 
     
     
       14. The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more components of the one or more aerosol precursor compositions includes a polyhydric alcohol. 
     
     
       15. The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein two or more of the plurality of heaters are configured to individually heat to a temperature of about 120° C. to about 300° C. 
     
     
       16. The cartridge of  claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of heaters comprises a metal or metal alloy. 
     
     
       17. An electronic smoking article comprising:
 a cartridge comprising:
 a substrate; and 
 one or more aerosol precursor compositions that independently can comprise one or more components, the one or more aerosol precursor compositions, or the one or more components thereof, being present individually in one or more areas of the substrate; and 
 
 a control body comprising:
 an electrical power source; 
 a control component; and 
 a cavity configured to receive the cartridge; 
 
 wherein one or both of the cartridge and the control body includes a plurality of heaters arranged so that, when the cartridge is received in the cavity, the one or more aerosol precursor compositions, or the one or more components thereof, are configured for heating by one or more of the plurality of heaters, and wherein the electronic smoking article is configured so that individual heaters from the plurality of heaters are activated in response to different actions. 
 
     
     
       18. The electronic smoking article of  claim 17 , wherein the substrate is formed of a material selected from the group consisting of a polymeric material, paper, cardboard, ceramic, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
       19. The electronic smoking article of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more aerosol precursor compositions, or the one or more components thereof, are present as a solid or semi-solid material. 
     
     
       20. The electronic smoking article of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more aerosol precursor compositions, or the one or more components thereof, are present as a gel or a foam. 
     
     
       21. The electronic smoking article of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more components of the one or more aerosol precursor compositions include one or more of a flavor, a medicament, and nicotine. 
     
     
       22. The electronic smoking article of  claim 17 , wherein the one or more components of the one or more aerosol precursor compositions include a polyhydric alcohol. 
     
     
       23. The electronic smoking article of  claim 17 , wherein the substrate comprises two layers. 
     
     
       24. The electronic smoking article of  claim 23 , wherein the plurality of heaters is positioned between the two layers of the substrate. 
     
     
       25. The electronic smoking article of  claim 17 , wherein two or more different aerosol precursor compositions or two or more different components thereof are independently present in different areas of the substrate. 
     
     
       26. The electronic smoking article of  claim 25 , wherein the control component is configured to activate individual heaters from the plurality of heaters according to a defined algorithm for separate heating of the two or more different aerosol precursor compositions or the two or more different components thereof. 
     
     
       27. The electronic smoking article of  claim 17  wherein one or more of the individual heaters is activated upon activation of a pressure sensor of the control body. 
     
     
       28. The electronic smoking article of  claim 17  wherein one or more of the individual heaters is activated by manual control. 
     
     
       29. The electronic smoking article of  claim 28 , wherein the manual control comprises actuation of a push button on the control body. 
     
     
       30. The electronic smoking article of  claim 28 , wherein activation of one or more of the individual heaters by the manual control is effective to heat a flavor present as the one or more components of the one or more aerosol precursor compositions. 
     
     
       31. The electronic smoking article of  claim 17 , wherein the electronic smoking article is configured to provide a customized aerosol composition by selectively activating one or more individual heaters of the plurality of heaters corresponding to the one or more components of the one or more aerosol precursor compositions in the one or more areas of the substrate that are effective to provide the customized aerosol composition. 
     
     
       32. The electronic smoking article of  claim 17 , wherein the substrate is substantially flat. 
     
     
       33. The electronic smoking article of  claim 17 , wherein the plurality of heaters are present individually in the one or more areas of the substrate corresponding to the one or more aerosol precursor compositions of the one or more components thereof. 
     
     
       34. The electronic smoking article of  claim 33 , wherein the control body includes one or more electrical components configured for activating the plurality of heaters individually or in one or more combinations.

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